Ornamental linkage having recessed connecting tabs



ORNAMENTAL LINKAGE HAVING RECESSED CONNECTING TABS J. F. SAND Nova 7,1961 Filed Nov. 5, 1957 /9 INVENTOR.

J HN E SAND A TTORNEY United States Patent F ORNAMENTAL LINKAGE HAVINGRECESSED CONNECTING TABS I John F. Sand, Convent Station, N.J.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Gemex Precision Metals, Inc., Union,N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 5, 1957, Ser. No. 694,603 1Claim. (Cl. 59-80) The present invention relates to watch bracelets andmore particularly to a bracelet that can be conveniently adjusted inlength. i V

At the present time there are various commercially available watchbracelets formed of a series of links secured together by complexmechanical arrangements. When a purchaser of one of these braceletsfinds that it must be adjusted in length to conform to the size of hiswrist, he must take it to a jeweler for such adjustment. The design andcomplexity of presently available watch bracelets is such thatadjustment must be done professionally rather than by the owner. It istherefore proposed that a watch bracelet be provided which would be soldalong with extra links and of such design that by a simple operationeach owner could insert or remove links to accommodate the bracelet tohis wrist size. It is to this general problem that the present inventionis directed.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improvedlink type watch bracelet.

Another object of this invention is to provide a link type watchbracelet wherein selected links may be conveniently added or subtractedto adjust the length of the bracelet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustablewatch bracelet which can be readily and conveniently adapted to anindividuals wrist size.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a braceletformed of a series of links that are of simple construction and hingedtogether to form a flexible band.

In accordance with these and other objects, there is provided a watchbracelet having a series of abutting top links. Each such link has aplate forming the underside thereof, with four depending prongs. Twoprongs are located along each plate edge and positioned a fixed distanceapart. A series of bottom links of substantially the same width as saidtop links are positioned adjacent the undersurface of the series ofupper links. Each bottom link has a pair of slots or openings passingtherethrough to receive the four prongs along the abutting edges ofadjacent top links. The pair of prongs passing through each bottom linkslot are bent in opposite directions longitudinally of the bracelet toform a continuous linkage which is flexible to comfortably fit thecontour of a wrist.

The bent-over prongs fit into channels cut into the undersurface of eachbottom link at the slot positions so that the prongs are flush with theundersurface of the bracelet to avoid discomfort when in use. Anespecially novel feature is that the prongs can be conveniently bent byprying with an awl or other pointed instrument. In this way it is asimple matter for a person to add or subtract links to adjust the lengthof the bracelet.

The invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription of a specific embodiment thereof taken with the drawings inwhich- FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bracelet in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 showing the bracelet in anexpanded condition;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of an inexpansible section of thebracelet of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. '3;

3,007,301 Patented Nov. 7, 1961 FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the bracelet of the presentinvention showing the bottom of the bracelet and illustrating how a pairof links can be added or removed.

, Referring now to the drawings there is shown a .watch braceletgenerally indicatedby numeral 10. The bracelet maybe considered as beingmade of three sections 11, 12 and 13. Sections 11 and 13 areinexpansible or of a fixed length whilesection 12 is made of springurged expansiblclinks. End pieces 14 and 15-iare secured to the outerends of sections 11 and 13 respectively to secure the bracelet to awatch case. It is seen then that when bracelet '10 is secured to a watchand positioned on the v wrist of a wearer, thecenter section 12 willexpand to adjust the bracelet length to the necessary length. Sections11 and 13 on the other hand will remain at their predetermined lengths.

It is readily understood that when the bracelet is worn by a personhaving a large wrist, the section 12 will expand a greater amount thanit would when positioned on a smaller wrist. This greater expansion ofthe spring tensioned center section 12 will of course result in agreater tensioning force on the individuals wrist. Thus it is desirableto provide a bracelet which is readily and conveniently adjustable inlength to provide for individuals having different size wrists.Accordingly, sections 11 and 13 of the bracelet have been designed toprovide for convenient removal or addition of links.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of section 13 which is of identical constructionas section 11. Section 13 comprises a series of abutting top links 16which comprise a top shell 17 and a top link plate 18. Each side of thetop shell has a cutout portion 19 along the bottom edge thereof as seenmore clearly in FIG. 6. A tongue extension 21 along each edge of the toplink plate 18 is received in the cut-out portions 19 so that the platewill fit in place within the top shell with the bottom surface of theplate flush with the bottom edge of the top shell. Each plate isprevented from falling out of its place within the top shell by means offour prongs 22 which are formed integral with the sides of the shell andbent over to firmly hold each top plate in place. Formed integral witheach top link plate are four prongs 23 having an enlarged base portion,a narrow center portion and a circular outer end as seen more clearly inFIG. 6.

A series of bottom links 24 are provided and positioned along theundersurface of the series of top links. Each bottom lnik 24 is ofsubstantially the same width as each of the top links so that an equalnumber of bottom links will abut together when positioned beneath theseries of upper links. A pair of longitudinal channels 25 and 26 are cutin the undersurface of each bottom link near the outer ends thereof. Apair of slots 27 and 28 pass through each bottom link near the outerends thereof at the locations of the channels. The distance between theslots 27 and 28 is equal to the distance between prongs 23. Thus when abottom link is correctly positioned in place below a pair of adjacenttop links, a slot such as 27 will receive a pair of adjacent prongs 23of abutting top links. Similarly slot 28 will receive the othercorresponding adjacent prongs 23 so that when the prongs are bent overin opposite directions longitudinally of the bracelet a hinged joint isformed. It is seen then that each section 11 and 12 is made of twoseries of links which are hinged together to provide the necessaryflexibility for the bracelet. In order to adjust the length of one ofthe inexpansible sections 11 or 13, it is only necessary to pry up theprongs 23 with a pointed instrument such as an awl. This can beconveniently done since the prongs are readily accessible and made toplink bent up, the associated bottom link may be lifted" out of place andthen the corresponding top link removed as shown in FIG. 6. Then bybringing the two separated portions of the bracelet together, andbending the prongs downward again the bracelet is shortened. Similarlypairs' of top and bottom links may be added to lengthen the bracelet.

Though the present invention has been described with respect to aspecific embodiment thereof it is understood that this is not to beconsidered as limiting the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is: v A watch bracelet comprising a series of abuttingtop links, each of -said top links comprising a top shell having acut-out portion in each side along the bottom edges thereof, a top linkplate having a tongnie along opposite edges thereof, said top link platebeing located in place within said top shell, said tongues beingreceived within said cut-out portions, a pair of prongs formed integralwith said plate along each lateral edge thereof, a series of bottomlinks having a width substantially equal to the width of each of saidtop links, each of said bottom links being located adjacent theu'ndersurfaces of a pair of adjacent top links and centeredtherebetween, a pair of longitudinal channels formed in the undersurfaceof each bottom link near the ends thereof, a pair of slots passingthrough each bottom link and adapted to receive a pair of prongs ofadjacent top links whereby said prongs may be bent over and receivedwithin said channels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,092,427 :Brassler -i Apr. 7, 19 14 1,219,683 Wachenheimer et al. Mar.20, 1917 1,443,512 Veigel Jan. 30, 1923 2,263,338 Kes'tem'nan Nov. 18,1941 2,421,720 Singer June 3, 1947 2,515,817 Angenstein July 18, 1950

